Zagora offers views of the Aegean. At the same time, the Hellenic Museum, the Historical Library and Agia Kyriaki bring specific cultural topics into focus. The history of education, book collections and church art give the town several historical perspectives. When choosing where to stay, you can consider whether to give more weight to the landscape, the history of education, architecture or regional treats.

The Hellenic Museum and the history of education

The Hellenic Museum, also known as the School of Rigas Feraios, was founded in 1712. It serves as an exhibition space and venue for lectures, and exhibitions are held there regularly. The museum permanently displays copies of incunabula and manuscripts from the Historical Library. Incunabula are early printed books, while manuscripts are handwritten texts; presenting them together shows two forms of the transmission of books side by side. The copies link the exhibition space to the Historical Library’s collections, while lectures add another format to its cultural use.

The history of education on Pelion is also connected with Zagora. In 1852, Ioannis Kassavetis founded the first girls’ school on Pelion in Zagora; it remained open until 1930. The founding and closing years define a clear historical period for this school’s history.

The library and church art

The Historical Library of Zagora is located in the central square of Agios Georgios. Members and visitors can consult materials on site. Dictionaries, encyclopedias, magazines and folklore materials cannot be borrowed; the same applies to antiquities more than 50 years old. If you are interested in these collections, plan to consult them on site rather than borrow them. Book enthusiasts have two distinct ways to explore them: the museum permanently displays copies of incunabula and manuscripts from the library, while the library allows visitors to consult materials on site.

Agia Kyriaki in Zagora was built in 1740 and has three naves. Its gilded, carved wooden iconostasis dates from 1742. “Three-naved” describes the division of the church interior into three naves; the iconostasis, by contrast, draws attention to a specific feature of its furnishings. The construction date and the date of the iconostasis therefore mark different historical aspects of the same church. Anyone interested in religious architecture can consider the layout and craftsmanship of the furnishings as two distinct aspects.

Landscape and local treats

Views of the Aegean add a landscape perspective to the historic sites. To decide whether Zagora is right for your stay, you can weigh the scenic views against the specific cultural attractions.

At the Kafe-Glyko-Poleio of the Zagora Women’s Agricultural Tourism Cooperative, visitors can sample sweets such as spoon sweets, jams and traditional sheet cakes, as well as homemade liqueurs; homemade meze are served with local tsipouro. Check current opening arrangements before your visit.

Discover more destinations

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For the main travel overview: Magnesia.